


Just Try to Understand

by RinSexyMatsuoka



Series: ILYAL 'verse [4]
Category: Free!
Genre: Family, Fluff, Just a load of fluff with a lil bit of angst, M/M, Meeting the Parents, Sosuke meets Keiji's parents, Sosuke sees things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-24
Updated: 2015-08-24
Packaged: 2018-04-17 00:09:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4645128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RinSexyMatsuoka/pseuds/RinSexyMatsuoka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Keiji asks Sosuke to come meet his parents, and despite some nerves, Sosuke agrees. He just never expected someone else to crash the dinner, too.</p><p>(You guys should probably read "I Love You a Latte" to understand this)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Try to Understand

**Author's Note:**

> Here we have the SosKei one shot! This took me way too long to write, but it's finally here! Hope you guys like it!

Sosuke stares ahead unblinkingly. His chin rests on the palm of his hand while his elbow rests on the glass of the countertop. He’s slouched forward, not really seeing anything, the chatter and sounds of the cafe just incoherent noise in the back of his mind.

“...suke…”

His mind wanders; should he ask him out on a date? Sosuke’s not very good at those kinds of things. Not with him, at least. Sosuke’s never been the one to initiate the dates, instead acting like it’s a bother but agreeing to go anyway. He can’t help it; he gets flustered even now and letting his true feelings show is hard for him.

“...osuke…”

Maybe he can this time. Sosuke knows it’ll make him happy.

“...Sosuke…”

He can already imagine that blinding smile, a flash of perfect white teeth

“Sosuke! Oi, Sosuke!”

Sosuke snaps out of his thoughts, his elbow slipping on the glass as his face crashes straight onto the counter.

“Fuck!” He curses, straightening up and rubbing his jaw.

“Serves you right for spacing off,” comes a voice from his left.

Sosuke scowls, shooting a glare at his companion.

“I was just thinking,” he says. “You were saying something?

“I’ve only been calling your name for the last five minutes. Get your head out of your ass.”

Sosuke finally takes the time to look at his coworker. Rin is dressed in tight black jeans, a faded band tee under his customary Sharkbait Cafe apron. His wine red hair falls around his face and the piercings on his face shimmer in the light streaming through the windows. He’s leaning his hip against the countertop, arms crossed as he observes Sosuke.

“There weren’t any customers, so it doesn’t matter,” Sosuke shrugs, scanning over the occupants of the cafe. A young couple sits by the window, a mother and her son a few tables away. A handful of college students are scattered around, heads bent over laptops and earbuds in their ears

“Yeah, guess you’re right. Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to come to Akiyama-san's tattoo parlor with me tomorrow."

Sosuke raises a brow. "Why?"

Rin shrugs. "Just thought you might wanna check it out. This'll probably be my future career, you know. It's interesting as fuck, so I just thought you might wanna tag along when you have time."

Rin looks as if he's trying to hide how eager he is, trying to make the invitation casual. Sosuke can see right through it, though, but he decides to spare Rin the embarrassing of seeming too excited.

"Fine," Sosuke sighs, acting like going is a chore.

Rin's expression lights up in an instant, and he's met with a pointy-toothed grin.

"Great! I was thinking you could be my first test subject for when I finally start inking."

"Hell no. Get your asshole of a boyfriend to be your guinea pig."

"You're an asshole yourself."

Sosuke smiles. This kind of banter always relaxes him, and he's glad he can casually insult Rin and Haru without it being taken the wrong way. Rin is subtly smiling, and Sosuke can't hold back a laugh.

The bell above the door chimes, and a customer walks in and heads straight to Rin to place an order. Sosuke watches from beside him, sees how he smiles politely and goes to make the order. He's graceful with practiced ease, and Sosuke admires the smoothness of his steps.

He's relieved yet again that there are no butterflies warring in his stomach.

There's no shortage of breath, no racing of his heart, and Sosuke can calmly observe his friend with no inappropriate thoughts. And he's so, so glad.

Rejection is a heart wrenching thing. It tears away at the heart and fills the mind with unwanted thoughts. 'You're not good enough,' it speaks. 'You never will be.' And Sosuke has suffered that pain and those endless thoughts. When he confessed to Rin back in October, kissed those soft lips and spoke his love into Rin's ear, he knew already that there wasn't any hope. Rin loved another. Sosuke had seen that love blossom before his very eyes, and yet he couldn't move on without saying something. He wasn't surprised when he was turned down, but that didn't mean he wasn't hurt.

He said he was alright to stop Rin from worrying, but in reality, he wasn't.

Rin was like an addiction; Sosuke had gotten a taste, and he ached for more. It was maddening, not being able to do anything about it. Loving Rin hurt, and yet Sosuke had been in love for so many years that he didn't know how to let that feeling go for a long while. He doubted he ever would.

That is, until he was met with a whirlwind of easy smiles and cheesy pick up lines. Sosuke smiles as he thinks back on it. He remembers how annoyed he was when they first met. He didn't want anyone to be attracted to him, not when he was hurting so much. He didn't want to listen to those attempts at flirting, didn't even want to consider someone else.

It's funny, how the heart works.

Before he knew it, what started out as annoyance turned into friendship. He had someone to talk to, someone who wasn't mooning over their boyfriend and could just be there to hang out. He never thought that one day his feelings for Rin would start to fade, and he'd end up slowly falling in love again.

His addiction to his friend had faded, only for him to become intoxicated with someone completely different.

The door to the cafe bursts open, and Sosuke's pulled out of his musings as the bell chimes. Rin looks over as well, startled by the sudden entrance. Sosuke sighs, rolling his eyes. Speak of the devil.

Keiji Hirai, with his messy black hair falling into gorgeous honey-amber eyes, enters the cafe like a king. He's dressed in a navy button up with the sleeves rolled up halfway, black jeans leading down to his favorite pair of black combat boots. Keiji swaggers up to the counter, eyes locked on Sosuke as he leans forward.

"You know, there's a really big sale going on in my bedroom right now," Keiji says. "All clothes are 100% off."

He winks, grinning.

Sosuke stares.

Rin is silent next to him, watching the exchange.

After a good minute, Sosuke finally opens him mouth to respond.

"Why the fuck am I dating you?" He asks, expression completely blank and unimpressed.

Keiji pouts. "Heeey. Come on, that was a good one! Right, Rin?"

They both turn to Rin, who looks between them and shrugs. "Nagisa would probably fall for it."

"See! You just don't appreciate me."

Sosuke shakes his head, giving Keiji an expectant look. "Are you going to order something or just distract us all day?"

Keiji sighs, throwing his hands up and admitting defeat. "I'll just have my usual," he says, and Sosuke moves to get the order ready.

The recipe comes easy to him. By now, Sosuke knows exactly how Keiji likes his coffee, how much cream and sugar to add. While he's busy making the order, he listens to Keiji and Rin conversing behind him. They're on the topic of Haru, and Sosuke scowls reflexively. He's been so opposed to Haru since the beginning that now the scowl comes naturally when he's mentioned. It's not that he hates Haru; he makes Rin happy, and Sosuke is grateful for that. That doesn't mean Sosuke can't bicker with him, though.

"Here," he says, handing Keiji the finished order. Keiji gratefully takes the cup and takes a sip, sighing contentedly at the flavor. How he doesn't burn his tongue off, Sosuke will never know.

"Thanks," Keiji says, and Sosuke tries not to blush at the smile. "Listen, I have to go soon, so I won't be able to stick around and ask you at your break."

"Ask me what?"

Keiji grins, eyes sparkling. "I was thinking you could come with me this weekend to my parents' place. They've been wanting to meet you."

Sosuke freezes in place, processing what Keiji just said. Meet his parents? Well, Sosuke should have expected that, but that doesn't prepare him for the wave of nerves that shoot up his spine at the thought.

Keiji's waiting for an answer, though, so Sosuke pulls himself together and nods.

"Yeah, alright," he says. "Text me the time and I'll meet you at your apartment."

Keiji smiles and nods in the affirmative. "Great! I'll let Mom and Dad know we'll be stopping by." He leans over and swiftly pecks Sosuke's cheek. "I'll let you get back to work. Later!"

He waves at Sosuke and Rin, turns on his heels, and walks away, leaving Sosuke flustered and with a tinge of pink to his cheeks.

Rin whistles, patting Sosuke to the back. “Meeting the parents, huh? I hope yours goes over better than my meeting did.” He cringes just as the thought, and Sosuke groans.

He can only hope their reactions are better than Haru’s parents’ were.

...o0o...

Sosuke won’t admit it, but he’s nervous.

Keiji had said before that it took a while for his parents to get used to the idea of him being gay. They may not have been totally against it or angry, but it clearly made them uneasy in the beginning. Sosuke wonders if they’ll be uneasy again when they meet him.

He picks Keiji up at his apartment, getting a tender kiss in greeting. Sosuke breathes deeply, letting his arms circle around Keiji’s waist as he calms himself.

“Nervous?” Keiji asks softly, rubbing his hand up and down Sosuke’s back.

Sosuke doesn’t respond. He stands there for a moment, listening to Keiji chuckle.

“Don’t worry,” Keiji assures, obviously realizing that Sosuke is, in fact, nervous. “They got over it years ago. Mom’s been so excited to meet you. She’s probably gonna cook enough to feed three families.”

Sosuke smiles at that, feeling a little more at ease. He lets go of Keiji and turns, motioning for him to lead the way. Keiji grins and starts walking, though he does a double take as he looks at Sosuke’s back.

“Hey,” he says, pointing to Sosuke’s jeans. “Is that a phone in your back pocket?” Sosuke raises a brow. “Because that booty is calling my name.”

The groans that tears itself from Sosuke’s throat is legendary. He playfully smacks Keiji upside the head, glaring at his shit-eating grin.

“I better not hear any stupid pickup lines while we’re having dinner. I won’t hesitate to kick you in the balls under the table.”

“Man, you’re no fun. Just admit you love them already. I know it was my pickup lines and my dripping good looks that drew you in in the first place.”

Sosuke laughs, shaking his head. “Someone’s obviously confused.”

They banter back and forth for the rest of the short walk. Sosuke doesn't keep track of the time, but it seems like just minutes later that they're standing in front of a two story house. The garden out front is full of vibrant flowers, obviously well kept and cared for. Sosuke can only stare at the stark white front door, though, willing his heart to calm down.

Keiji slides his hand into his, lacing their fingers. He pulls out his keychain, finding the right key, and stepping up to the door. He looks up at Sosuke when he slides the key into the lock.

"Ready?" He asks.

Sosuke nods, determined not to show any nerves. Grinning, Keiji turns the key and unlocks the door, tugging Sosuke inside. He's tense as he takes his shoes off, but Keiji's humming without a care by side.

"Hey, relax," Keiji says, trying not to laugh. "We're alone right now. Mom and Dad won't be home for a little while."

Sosuke immediately relaxes, letting out a sigh of relief. Then he scowls, giving Keiji a playful shove.

"You could have said that sooner."

"And miss out on seeing you so adorable nervous? Fat chance."

He leads Sosuke down a sparsely decorated hallway, pointing out the kitchen as they pass by. It's spotless, not a dish in the sink, and the chairs are all perfectly pushed in. The living room has a big, comfy couch and a TV sitting on a stand with a DVD player. There's a checkered throw blanket folded and draped over the back of the couch, a single armchair sitting to the side.

"You wanna go up to my room?" Keiji asks.

Sosuke nods, curious as to see what Keiji's room looks like in his old home. At his apartment, it's decorated with all kind of artwork, some that he did himself.

He follows Keiji up the stairs. They pass a bathroom to the left and a closed door to the right, before they stop at another door. Keiji pushes it open, and Sosuke steps into the room his boyfriend spent most of his time in during his childhood.

The bed, with it's black and gray sheets, is perfectly made in the corner. There's no desk, as Keiji took that with him when he moved out, but his nightstand has a mini lamp on it for late night doodles, he's sure. The walls are decorated with paintings; from the looks of them, they were created years ago, when Keiji was still figuring out his style. They're still beautiful, though, with their vibrant backgrounds and thick brush strokes.

Keiji flops down on his bed, laying on his back and stretching his limbs out. He pats the spot beside him, giving Sosuke a wink.

"Wanna make out?" He asks

Sosuke barely restrains himself from rolling his eyes.

"Is that the only thing on your mind all day?"

"Pfft, of course not. I think about your butt a lot, too."

Sosuke sits next to him and ruffles his hair, drawing out a laugh from Keiji. Keiji grabs onto his wrist and pulls him down. Sosuke grunts, falling half on top of Keiji.

"So, about that make out," Keiji murmurs, before capturing Sosuke's lips in a kiss.

Sosuke closes his eyes and revels in the softness of Keiji's lips. He presses forward just a little, increasing the pressure. Keiji sighs against his lips, his arms coming up to circle around his back. His hands rub up and down Sosuke's back, and Sosuke feel his heart start to beat faster. He love this feeling; he loves feeling _loved_ , he loves knowing that despite how grumpy he might be sometimes, someone loves him enough to kiss him so softly.

Sosuke settles himself more comfortably above Keiji. His forearms support him, one hand curling in Keiji’s hair. He feels a tongue swipe against his lower lip, and he eagerly opens his mouth. Keiji’s tongue is hot and wet as it enters his mouth; it explores, running along the roof of his mouth, tangling with his own tongue. Sosuke takes control of the kiss easily, but Keiji still puts up a fight. Soon, Sosuke’s kissing him fiercely, nipping and sucking on his bottom lip.

“Mmm…” Keiji moans, wriggling beneath him. Something that feels suspiciously like a developing boner rubs against Sosuke’s hip, and he smirks, tugging on Keiji’s bottom lip.

“Fuck,” Keiji gasps when they pull apart for air.

Sosuke doesn’t stop there; he lets his lips trail down Keiji’s jaw, towards his neck. He plants kisses along Keiji’s neck, sucking gently but being careful not to leave any marks. By the sounds of it, his boyfriend is loving it, letting out breathy moans and sighs while tugging on Sosuke’s hair all the while.

It’s when he reaches Keiji’s collarbones and his boyfriend it gently rubbing his hips against him that a voice floating up the stairs brings them back to reality.

“Keiji! Is that you? I saw your shoes!”

It sounds like a woman’s voice, and Keiji groans as Sosuke instantly pulls back.

“That’ll be Mom,” Keiji says, cheeks flushed and lips slick with saliva. “If she’d just came back thirty minutes later.”

“I wasn’t going to fuck you at your parents’ house in the first place,” Sosuke says seriously, pushing himself up.

“You’re seriously no fun. How’d I get stuck with such a prude?”

“You’re the one who came onto me in the first place.”

Keiji looks him up and down, smirking.

“I do have great taste,” he says.

Sosuke feels like he’s constantly rolling his eyes around Keiji. He stands, running a hand through his hair to make it more presentable as Keiji smooths out his clothes.

"You're lucky I wasn't fully hard yet," Keiji grumbles. "That woulda been a problem."

"I'd rather spare your Mom the horror."

Keiji grins, walking to his bedroom door.

"Come on, I need to watch you sweat when you introduce yourself."

Sosuke follows him out and down the stairs. He tries not to let the thought of meeting Keiji's mother get to him. All he has to do is introduce himself and keep up pleasant conversation, maybe answer some questions. No way is her giving Keiji the satisfaction of watching his sweat.

They turn into the kitchen, where the dining table is full of grocery bags. A woman, who obviously must be Keiji's mom, is arranginging something in the fridge, her back to them.

"Hey, Mom," Keiji greets, announcing their arrival.

She turns and Sosuke stands up straight as her eyes land on her son, then him.

She's a short woman, a good few inches shorter than Keiji, which made her barely come up to Sosuke's shoulder. Her short hair is a chocolate brown, tied up in a ponytail, and her eyes are the exact same color as her son's.

Her expression is fond as she gives Keiji a hug. Sosuke watches as Keiji huggs her tight, smiling with his eyes closed. He relaxes a little; the love they have for each other is obvious, and that helps him breathe a little easier. Damn Rin and his "Meeting the Parents Horror Story."

"Sosuke-kun, I believe," the woman says, turning to him. "It's good to meet you, I'm Akane."

Sosuke straightens up immediately, keeping a serious expression as he bows low to her.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Akane-san," he says politely.

She chuckles, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, none of that now. You don't have to be so formal. I've been looking forward to this for ages. Keiji's just slow when it comes to introducing us to new people."

Sosuke straightens and is met with a kind smile. He smiles back tentatively, and she pats his cheek gently.

"Make yourself at home," she says. "Keiji, help me with these groceries. We're making curry and rice tonight."

"Ooh, my favorite!" Keiji exclaims, as he moves to unbag the items.

He passes my Sosuke, kissing his cheek along the way.

Sosuke's face betrays him and he feels the heat rising to his cheeks.

"How do you feel about curry, Sosuke-kun?" Akane-san asks.

"Er, it's a great dish," he says a little awkwardly.

"He can actually cook too," Keiji says with a glint in his eye. "If he wanted to, he could probably serve his food in a restaurant."

"Oh, really?" Akane-san says curiously. "What kind of dishes do you make?"

"Uh, I usually make simple Western style dishes for myself when it's just me," Sosuke explains, leaning against the table. "When I have people over, I have to cook for a lot of people, and it usually ends up being traditional Japanese dishes."

"You'll have to show me sometimes. Maybe we can compare recipes."

She sounds excited, and Keiji is wiggling his eyebrows at him from out of her sight. Sosuke had a feeling he'll be talking a lot more about food in the near future.

Soon, Akane-san shoos them out of the kitchen, refusing any offers of help as she starts on the cooking. Leaving her to it, Keiji and Sosuke head to the living room. While Sosuke sits on the couch, Keiji curls up into a ball next him, lazily flipping through the channels on the TV. Sosuke isn't really paying attention; he prefers to run his fingers through Keiji's hair.

They're like that for a good hour, until Keiji’s drowsy from the head massage and Sosuke’s not paying any attention to the TV at all. He’s staring down at the head in his lap fondly, smiling slightly.

The sound of the front door opening and closing jolts Keiji out of his doze.

“I’m home!” Comes a deep voice, and Keiji grins.

“That’s Dad,” he says, standing up and stretching. “Come on. He’s been even more excited to meet you than Mom.”

Sosuke’s not sure if that’s a good thing or not, but he follows anyway. He decides that there’s no real point in being nervous; he wants Keiji’s parents to like him, but he’s confident enough in himself that he’s sure he can answer any questions easily enough. He just has to prove he’s good enough for their son, right?

Keiji’s father is looking over the dishes, dressed in his work attire. He’s tall, his shoulders broad and his black hair cut above his ears. When he turns, Sosuke catches sight of black scruff along his jaw. His eyes are a silvery gray, and Sosuke immediately thinks of molten steel.

“Keiji!” His father exclaims, looking happy to see his son. Keiji gives him a double thumbs up.

“Hey, Dad.” Keiji says. He nudges Sosuke forward a little. “I’d like you to meet my boyfriend, Sosuke Yamazaki.”

The man gives Sosuke a hard stare. He doesn't blink, his jaw is clenched, and his eyes stare into the recesses of Sosuke's soul. Sosuke doesn't flinch; he stands his ground and stares right back.

It's a silent stare-down for a good minute, and then he grins wide and slaps Sosuke on the shoulder.

"I like your attitude, kid! It's nice to meet you, I'm Koji."

Koji-san holds out his hand, and Sosuke shakes it firmly. He seems like a good man; Sosuke thinks he could get along with these people easily. If Keiji's grin as he watches the handshakes is anything to go by, then he's ecstatic, too.

Akane-san asks for help setting the table, and as Koji-san goes upstairs to change, Sosuke and Keiji take out the plates and glasses.

"This is what I always hoped to see one day," Keiji whispers in his ear as he reaches for the silverware. "My parents and boyfriend getting along like this. It feels like a warm blanket over my heart."

Sosuke smiles; Keiji looks so happy, and all because everything's going well with Sosuke and the Hirai's.

"You hang out with Nanase too much," Sosuke replies teasingly.

Keiji rolls his eyes and gives him a good-natured shove. They finish setting the table just as Koji-san comes down. Akane-san sets down the dishes of rice and curry, followed by veggies and and an assortment of fruits. It all looks so amazing, and Sosuke makes sure to tell her as much.

"Alright, everyone take a seat and help yourselves," Akane-san says.

They all sit, with Keiji and Sosuke on one side, and Keiji's parents on the other. As they plate their food, Sosuke mentally prepares himself. He knows the questions will come when they start eating, so he's sure to stay on his toes.

Just as they're about to take their first bites, though, the doorbell rings.

Akane-san gets to her feet, waving at the others to continue.

"I'll get that. You boys go ahead and start without me, I'll be back in just a second."

She heads out into the hall, and the others follow her orders. When Sosuke takes his first bite, the burst of flavors has his mouth watering in an instant. It's a nice atmosphere, with good food and pleasant company.

At least, until he hears Keiji say, "What the fuck?" loudly beside him.

Sosuke looks up to see Keiji looking over at the hall with a mixture of surprise and annoyance on his features. Turning his head, Sosuke sees just what the cause of that look is.

It's a man, standing slightly in front of Akane-san, who seems rooted to the spot. He's tall and has jet black hair, his gray eyes locked on Keiji through his glasses.

"Keiji, watch your language at the table," Koji-san scolds.

Keiji stands defiantly and points to the man with the glasses.

"I didn't know _he_ was coming!"

The man pushes up his glasses. "I was on my way home and thought I'd stop by." Something unrecognizable flashes in his eyes. "Clearly that wasn't such a good idea."

" _Clearly_ ," Keiji spits back.

Looking at the man, Sosuke can see the striking resemblance between him and Keiji. They have the same nose, the same hair and same face shape. And if Keiji's reaction is anything to go by, Sosuke's just laid eyes on the dreaded older brother.

The brother who was very adamant in his disapproval of Keiji's preferences.

Koji-san sighs. He looks between his sons and rubs his temple, while his wife just looks lost.

"Keiji, sit down and act like a civilized person," he says. "Kiyoshi, it's nice of you to visit. Sit down and grab a plate, but for the love of God, don't argue with your brother."

He looks like he's said these things a million times before, and Sosuke can see the weariness in his express. Keiji's brother, Kiyoshi-san, hesitates for just a second as he has a glare off with his little brother, before taking a seat at the end of the table. His eyes scan over the table, settling on Sosuke and scrutinizing every inch of his face. Sosuke's not sure what to make of his expression, but he's more focused on his boyfriend anyway.

Keiji's still standing, his fists clenched. His father looks seconds away from ordering to sit again, and Sosuke really could do without any drama. Besides, he hates seeing Keiji like this, all stressed with his shoulders tensed. So he stands as well, laying his palm of Keiji's fist and leaning into his ear.

"Calm down," Sosuke says smoothly. "Don't let him get to you. This is supposed to be about us, remember? Ignore him and just focus on getting your parents to know me better."

Keiji doesn't respond for a moment, but then he sighs, shoulders slumping down.

"Yeah, okay," he mutters, and takes his seat again.

Sosuke sits as well, but he doesn't take his hand away from Keiji's for a good minute. He knows Kiyoshi-san's staring at them intensely, and he wants to show that he's not afraid to show his feelings for Keiji openly.

When they do start eating again, it's tense.

"Sosuke-kun, this is our son, Kiyoshi," Akane-san says as a way of introduction.

Sosuke nods in understanding, fixing Kiyoshi-san with his gaze as he gives his name.

"Sosuke Yamazaki -"

"My _boyfriend_ ," Keiji finishes for him.

He's glaring at his brother, who just looks between them and then lowers his head to his meal.

"I see..." He murmurs, a little edge to his voice, and Sosuke can practically feel Keiji's hackles rising again.

He strokes his thumb over his boyfriend's hand to calm him, though he's a little irked himself. The guy's acting like an ass, but Sosuke knows he should have been expecting it from all the stories Keiji's told him. He just wishes Kiyoshi-san didn't crash their dinner today of all days.

The pleasant atmosphere is long gone, replaced by tension. Koji-san and Akane-san are doing their best to act like everything's normal, and if Sosuke ignores his grumpy boyfriend and his brother, he can feel like that too.

"So, Sosuke-kun," Koji-san finally says as they're all eating. "You're in college, right?"

Sosuke swallows before answering, very aware of Kiyoshi-san staring at the side of his face.

"Yes, sir," he replies confidently. "I'm majoring in psychology, and I've just started my third year."

Koji-san nods in what can only be approval.

"That's quite different from Keiji's art major," Akane-san chimes in thoughtfully. "You two seem so different, it's difficult to think you'd be interested in each other."

"We're not that different," Keiji says, glancing Sosuke's way and grinning. "Sosuke's a big softie under all that grump, you just gotta get to know him."

Sosuke raises an eyebrow. "I like how creative he is. He can't tap into minds like I'm learning to, but I can barely draw a stick figure. It's interesting."

"And you work part-time, too?" Koji-san inquires, raising his chopsticks to his lips.

Sosuke nods. "When I'm not studying or going to classes, I'm usually at the cafe I work at."

Koji-san looks impressed, and Sosuke feels a little proud of himself. It's obvious Keiji's father likes him, and he's sure his mother loved him from the moment he said he could cook.

But then, there's the brother.

"Why would someone who has his life in order and a future in sight want to be with a _man_?" Kiyoshi-san asks, drawing everyone's attention to him.

"Why the fuck do you _care_?" Keiji shoots right back, getting a scolding from his mother.

But what intrigues Sosuke the most is that before Kiyoshi-san's expression turned to one of annoyance for his brother, he looked genuinely...confused.

The brothers bickering is put to a stop by their father, who sighs loudly.

"Enough! Keiji, stop swearing at the table, and Kiyoshi, you're old enough to know to be polite to guests."

"Tch," both brothers say at the same time.

They're quite similar, Sosuke thinks, and he inwardly sighs. This is going to be a long dinner.

"And you're on good terms with your family?" Koji-san asks pointedly.

"I live alone, but I visit my parents a few times every month when I have the time. We've always been close, and that will never change."

More questions are asked, mainly about Sosuke's thoughts on his future and subtle question that sounds suspiciously like, "what are you plans with our son?" He thinks he answers them decently enough, though. Now if only Kiyoshi-sam could stop being a dick and pissing Keiji off every few minutes.

The interrogation is interrupted every few minutes by questions of, "What purpose does a homosexual relationship serve?" and "Japan doesn't allow _gay_ couples to marry. What are you going to do in the future?"

Keiji looks seconds from blowing up, but Sosuke is just mildly annoyed. He's more focused on keeping his boyfriend from flipping the table.

"Two men can't even have children together. Can you really be happy like that?"

That seems to be the final straw for Keiji, who leaps to his feet and slams his palms on the table.

"I've fucking had it!" He says vehemently. "Who the hell do you think you are?! Why'd you have to pick today of all days to drop by unannounced? And then you sit there are ask your stupid, ignorant shit and insult our relationship! You made it clear already that I'm not the brother you once knew, so what's the point in asking that anyway? You could just ignore my existence like you have been for years, and I'd be fine with that. I don't need you trampling over something I've been dying to have for so long!"

Keiji leaves his meal half eaten, pushing away his chair and stomping out of the kitchen.

The table is silent, but Sosuke's mind is in overdrive. He heard that quiver in Keiji's voice, when he brought up Kiyoshi-san's words when they were younger. He can hardly imagine how it must feel.

But a glance at Kiyoshi-san shows a conflicted expression, remorse mixed with confusion, and Sosuke's pretty sure he knows what's going through that head. Nevertheless, he stands and bows his head.

"Excuse me," he says, and doesn't wait for a response as he follows his boyfriend up the stairs.

When he gets to the bedroom door, he's not surprised to find it unlocked. Keiji knew he'd come after him.

Stepping inside the room, he finds Keiji laying on his stomach on the bed, his face buried in a pillow. Without a word, Sosuke gently closes the door behind him and goes to lay down beside him.

"Why does he have to be such an asshole?" Keiji asks, his voice muffled by the pillow.

Sosuke doesn't respond, mulling over his answer. He has one, he's just not sure Keiji would like to hear it.

"Well," he starts. "Maybe he's not doing it on purpose."

Keiji turns his head to the side and fixes him with a "what the fuck" expression.

"What the fuck?" He says, and Sosuke sighs.

"I mean, maybe he doesn't mean for it to come out that way."

Keiji scoffs. "He means it, alright. He's a homophobic asshole who just has to ruin everything. He's just saying all of that stuff to piss me off."

"Maybe," Sosuke shrugs, staring at the ceiling. "Maybe not."

"Just spit it out, Sosuke," he groans.

"I mean, maybe that's his way of trying to understand you. What if he's not so against us after all?"

Keiji's looking at him like he's insane, but Sosuke can't say he expected any different.

"I think you're missing the point here. My brother doesn't like gays and hates my guts."

Sosuke sighs. He's obviously not getting anywhere with this. It may be best to go to the source of the problem.

"Look, just stay here and cool down a little, alright?" He says softly, leaning over Keiji. "I'll be back in a bit."

Keiji just nods, looking horribly down. Sosuke hates that look, and he kind of wants to punch Kiyoshi-sam in the face for it. Maybe he'll accidentally trip the guy down the stairs.

"And stop looking like someone murdered your dog."

Keiji rolls his eyes, but he does smile slightly. Sosuke leans in and gives him a long, sweet kiss.

"Let's just stay up here and make out for the rest of dinner," Keiji suggests against his lips.

"I'm trying to make a good impression with your parents, remember?"

"Fuck that."

Chuckling, Sosuke pulls away, telling Keiji once again to just stay in the room and cool his head. With that, he goes back out into the hallway, rubbing the back of his neck.

Why on Earth does he have to fix family problems on top of impressing the parents?

When he's halfway down the stairs, he spots Kiyoshi-san standing at the foot of the staircase. He looks distressed and hesitant, and once he spots Sosuke, he covers his face by pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

Sosuke stops a couple of steps above him.

"Keiji's really upset right now," Sosuke states.

Kiyoshi-san averts his eyes.

"I understand that."

"I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and say you didn't mean to phrase your questions like that," Sosuke pushes on.

Kiyoshi-san looks extremely uncomfortable, but Sosuke's a little iffy about whether it's from being so close to another gay guy or because he's right.

"I'm trying to... Understand," Kiyoshi-sam finally says. Sosuke just crosses his arms and leans against the railing, waiting for him to go on. "I may have said some regrettable things in the past, but I've been trying to see things differently."

"By asking how two guys can even be happy together?"

At least he has the decency to look ashamed.

"Not my best question, I admit. Look, Yamazaki, despite what you may think, I do care about Keiji. He'd my little brother, and I've loved him since he was born. I just don't understand him much, because I don't understand homosexuality in general. I've been trying to change that, but I guess asking him about it wasn't the brightest idea."

Sosuke sighs loudly, rubbing his forehead. Yeah, those brothers are exactly alike.

"You're not wrong in asking him about it," Sosuke says. "You just have to think before he talk. And stop acting like you hate his guts; it really gets to him, and as much as he acts like he doesn't care, he's hurt by what you say and do. He's always look up to you, and you turned on him. You can't expect him to trust that you're only trying to understand him, especially when he doesn't even know that."

Kiyoshi-san looks so lost that Sosuke feels a little bad for him. But then he remembers wanting to trip him down the stairs, and then he doesn't feel so bad anymore.

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Kiyoshi-san asks helplessly.

"All that shit you just said to me? Tell Keiji that. Tell him you want to fix your relationship and get to know how he is now. He's become an incredible person, you know. You'll be lucky to know him as he is now."

Kiyoshi-san nods hesitantly, looking as if he's about to go into battle.

"I guess I'll go with your advice," he says, and Sosuke steps to the side in invitation.

"And if he decides to sock you in the face," Sosuke says, "then let him. You kind of deserve it, after all."

Kiyoshi-san doesn't say anything to that, but nods grimly. He trudges up the stairs slowly, and Sosuke follows behind until he's not in sight of Keiji's door but can easily hear Kiyoshi-sand knock.

"Er... Keiji? It's me," Kiyoshi-san starts uncertainly. Sosuke can just barely see his face, and he looks like he's swallowing nails. "I just want to talk... And apologize for what I said."

There's silence for a moment, and then the door opens to reveal a venomous Keiji.

"Yeah, and why should I listen?"

Kiyoshi-san's obviously finding it hard to deal with Keiji's attitude, but he plows forward.

"You shouldn't, but I'd appreciate it if you would." A pause, and then, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I said at dinner and what I said in the past. I'm sorry for the way I've been acting all these years."

When Keiji doesn't respond, Kiyoshi-san continues.

"You have to realize, I couldn't really comprehend it when you came out to me. I've only ever known of men and women being together; it was so completely foreign to me."

"You didn't even try to understand," Keiji mutters, so low that Sosuke has to strain to hear.

Kiyoshi-san looks completely remorseful. "And I apologize for that, too. I should have tried harder and talked to you more, instead of pushing you away."

"It fucking hurt," Keiji says, and his voice sounds drained of all energy. "Imagine being totally confident that you can tell your big brother anything, but then being shoved away and practically disowned by him just because you like boys. All my trust went out the fucking window."

"I understand that now, and I hate myself for what I did. But now, I really do want to try to understand. I didn't mean for my questions to come out like that downstairs. I just want to understand the way you live and who you are now." He smiles sadly. "I miss you, Keiji. Believe me, I do. I miss my little brother, even if you think I don't think of you as that anymore."

There's silence, and Sosuke watches as Keiji hugs himself tightly and stares at the ground. Sosuke has no idea what could be going through his head right now, but he hopes Kiyoshi-san's words made some impact.

"Just give me some time to think, okay?" Keiji says softly. "I get it, but I need to think about all this when I don't want to smash your face in."

Kiyoshi-san winces just barely. He nods in agreement, giving a tentative smile.

"Of course. If you decide you want to talk, you have my number."

Keiji nods, and then he's retreating back into his room. Kiyoshi-san breathes deeply, coming back down the stairs.

"I guess I owe you my thanks," he says to Sosuke. "This is the farthest I've gotten in the months I've been trying to understand."

Sosuke just shrugs. "Don't thank me, because if you do hurt him again, I can't promise you'll walk away with all your bones intact."

He raises himself to his full height in emphasis, teal eyes holding that promise. Kiyoshi-san swallows.

"Of course. I think I'll be on my way, then." As he reaches the last stair, he stops and looks back up, gray eyes thoughtful. "You know, Yamazaki, I think you might be just what my brother needs."

With those final words, he turns and leaves to bid his parents farewell. Sosuke stands in his spot for a moment, hands in his pockets.

He'll go and see if he can coax Keiji out of his room, he decides. They never did finish their dinner. He trudges up the stairs, thinking about Kiyoshi-san's words.

Maybe he'll trip the guy down the stairs some other day.

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Kiyoshi's kind of a dick, but at least he's trying. I really hope you guys liked that, and hit me up on tumblr (sharkbait-rin) if you have questios/commets!!


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